We then followed this poll up with some research to find out not only which type of vehicles are most involved in traffic accidents here, but also the causes, frequency and other impacts.
Our findings are alarming, but not surprising.
Even though a majority of respondents to our poll perceived large transport vehicles – vans, buses and lorries – to be the biggest hazards, statistics point to the drivers of motorbikes, cars and pick-up trucks – in that order of frequency – as being most involved in accidents here.
While much government PR emphasises enhanced awareness during the so-called “Seven Days of Danger” around New Year’s, and soon again during Songkran – make no mistake, Thailand traffic can be deadly 365 days a year
The Thai Road Safety Culture organisation (TRSC) reports that, in the first two months of this year, a total of 361 major accidents occurred in Phuket, resulting in 388 injuries and eight fatalities.
And according to the TRSC, which collects data day-by-day from rescue workers, police and other private and public sources, a total of 4,643 accidents in Phuket in 2014 resulted in 5,410 injuries and 78 deaths.
But according to the Road Safety Directing Centre of the Interior Ministry, the number of road fatalities confirmed in Phuket last year was “only” 45.
Statistics from the Royal Thai Police are no more reassuring. They state that from 2006 to 2013, our island’s deadly roads took the lives of 460 individuals – 343 sons and 117 daughters – and injured another 752 people. That’s an average of 58 a year.
From the 2,900-odd accidents reported to police in those eight years – more than 90 per cent of which were blamed on bad driving – police charged about half of the offenders, or 1,469, while another 108 have yet to be caught.
How many more need to flee, die or be hospitalised, before any serious action is taken by authorities and opinion leaders? A continuous, island-wide, year-round campaign is needed to re-adjust attitudes of all drivers, parents, students, politicians and police alike.
After all, it’s not the roads of Phuket that are the problem. As the stats confirm, it’s the people.